After finishing dinner and heading back to his room, Chen Xuanze encountered the arrival of the Black Guard. A thousand households, dressed in dark robes, led the team, followed by seven Black Guards in flying fish uniforms.
Li Wuzuo and Ma Baihu were leading people towards the morgue when they saw Chen Xuanze passing by. Ma Baihu called out, "Xuanze, come over."
Without asking anything, Chen Xuanze promptly followed, walking alongside Li Wuzuo. In the darkness, unnoticed by others, Li Wuzuo slipped a fifty-liang silver note to Chen Xuanze. The two exchanged a glance, understanding each other without words.
The morgue was located at the southwest corner of the Demon Suppression Office, a small room with a cremation furnace outside. For demons with deep cultivation, unsuitable for disposal in the Chaotic Grave Mound, this was where they were burned.
It was Chen Xuanze's first time here. Under normal circumstances, people from the Demon Suppression Office were reluctant to come here due to its inauspiciousness. The group stopped outside the room, and Li Wuzuo entered the morgue. He and a burly man then carried out the body of the Black Guard.
Watching his subordinate's opened and gutted body, the face of the Black Guard's thousand households turned green and red under the flickering firelight. Observing the twitching muscles on the face, he asked, "Master Ma, please explain the situation?"
They had received a notification and rushed here, but the specific details were unclear. Ma Baihu gestured for Li Wuzuo to explain the situation. Li Wuzuo, with a deadpan expression, said, "Death occurred yesterday evening, demonic energy infused, organs turned to powder. After death, four ribs were broken, and the skull was shattered."
Li Wuzuo was sparing with his words and walked away after finishing. Ma Baihu didn't mind. In the Demon Suppression Office, apart from showing more respect to the Supervisor, no one else received special treatment.
Ma Baihu then signaled Chen Xuanze to explain the situation. "Gentlemen, I was fishing near the Apricot Spring Tower by the Yanzhi River this afternoon and pulled him up. At that time, there was a large stone tied to his body. I reported it immediately."
After Chen Xuanze finished speaking, Ma Baihu continued, "Master Zheng, this is the situation. The stone wasn't particularly heavy, as if someone intended to send this brother downstream out of the city. Do you see if there's anything else we can help with?"
The thousand households named Zheng frowned deeply. The deceased Black Guard had been with him for many years, handling confidential matters for him. He wondered if someone had discovered something and killed him to silence him. Because of this, the promotion to a hundred households, which he deserved, was delayed.
"Master Ma, dealing with demons is the responsibility of your Demon Suppression Office. You have worked hard," Zheng nodded, acknowledging Ma Baihu's words.
"Wang Lord is already aware of this matter, and it will be handled. We will inform you when there are results," Ma Baihu added.
Zheng nodded again and swiftly left with his men, carrying the corpse.
Ma Baihu and Chen Xuanze accompanied the person to the north gate of the Demon Suppression Office. When they were bidding farewell, Zheng Qianhu handed two silver notes to Ma Baihu. Chen Xuanze also distributed fifty taels.
After everyone left, Chen Xuanze, who had nothing else to do, was about to sneak back to sleep when Ma Baihu stopped him, "Xuanze, go back and pack your things. We have a task tonight."
Chen Xuanze perked up at the prospect of getting involved. He quickly returned to his room, packed a set of equipment, and wrapped the crossbow given by Lord Wang around his left forearm, loading it with three soul-splitting arrows.
While the crossbow wasn't particularly valuable, it had the advantage of rapid firing, saving the trouble of changing arrows.
Ma Baihu took him to the open space near the north gate, where, soon enough, ten people arrived—the Xuan Group.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Before long, Lord Wang, dressed in a red robe, appeared in front of everyone. Without saying a word, he led the group and set out.
Walking along the road and aided by the faint light, Chen Xuanze felt the route was somewhat familiar. When the wall of the National University of the State appeared in front of him, he couldn't help but be stunned. Wasn't this the way to Wenfang Street?
Sneaking a glance at Ma Baihu, he couldn't help but wonder if it was really the work of a fox spirit. If that were the case, Ma Baihu would be in deep trouble. A leader who appreciated and rewarded his subordinates was not easy to come by.
Fortunately, upon entering Wenfang Street, Lord Wang only glanced in the direction of Ink Treasure Residence and Qiuqingshu Bookstore, snorted coldly, and walked straight ahead.
Ma Baihu was unfamiliar with this place, but he was curious about the simple and honest Chen Xuanze by his side, wondering why he kept looking at the shops along the street.
The destination was outside Wenfang Street, in a courtyard one mile away, with red tiles and green walls, covering an area almost as large as the Demon Suppression Office.
The vermilion gate was adorned with two huge stone lions. On both sides of the gate hung two vermilion lanterns. In the dim light, one could vaguely see the three gilded characters on the plaque above the gate: Prince Jin's Mansion.
Strangely, this spacious courtyard had no guards at the entrance, and it was silent inside.
Prince Jin was none other than the Emperor's uncle, the first war god of Great Liang, Zhao Cheng'an. At the age of sixteen, he tore apart tigers and leopards. At twenty-five, he entered the Fourth-rank Innate Realm. Now at the age of thirty-six, he was the same age as Lord Wang.
With a cultivation level of the Third-rank Innate Realm, he had been in the military for eighteen years without a single defeat. If Great Liang had endured until today, Prince Jin Zhao Cheng'an's contributions couldn't be ignored.
At this moment, Prince Jin was stationed three hundred miles north of the capital, leading twenty thousand soldiers to defend the northern border against the Mongol cavalry.
After standing in front of the gate for a while, Lord Wang signaled for Ma Baihu to knock on the door.
Approaching, 'clang, clang, clang,' the door was knocked. Soon, an elderly gatekeeper with white hair limped out, scolding as he walked, "Which inconsiderate bastard is disturbing people's sleep at this late hour?"
Ma Baihu whispered, "Demon Suppression Office."
The old gatekeeper's face changed instantly, and he obsequiously said, "Oh, the esteemed lords of the Demon Suppression Office, what brings you here?"
Without waiting for any reply, the group entered through the small gate, and the gatekeeper dared not stop them.
In Kyoto, there were two entities one should never provoke—the Imperial Palace and the Demon Suppression Office. The gatekeeper recalled the burning of Prince Jin's consort by the Demon Suppression Office four years ago and didn't dare obstruct them.
Once inside Prince Jin's mansion, Lord Wang seemed to know the location in advance. He headed straight to the backyard garden and stood in front of a rockery. His long, narrow eyes glared coldly at the flat ground one meter away.
No one spoke.
In the vast mansion, already sparsely populated, and with the burning of Prince Jin's consort four years ago, Prince Jin Zhao Cheng'an had left only a few old servants to watch over the estate. He himself had gone to the northern border.
After a while, Lord Wang coldly said, "Refusing my face, is it?"
Still, there was no sound.
"Waiting for reinforcements, is it? Fine, I'll accompany you in waiting."
Chen Xuanze had no idea what was going on. He wanted to ask Ma Baihu, but seeing everyone standing rigidly, he couldn't bring himself to speak.
The atmosphere was undeniably oppressive.
After a quarter of an hour, dense footsteps came from the direction of the main gate of the mansion.
It seemed the people they were waiting for had arrived.